Directions: Instead of posting on this page, go ahead and type your first and final drafts by using the editing tools on this page. For example, to get started, type in the first draft of your first argumentative paper today. The FINAL draft will be due Friday, Oct. 4. Or, if you don't want the whole class to see it, you can email your paper to me: tconrad@weber.edu.






Tim Conrad
Hawra Alabbas
English 2010

Physical Punishment
Once upon a time, there was a father of a poor family, he bought a new couch for their house. One of his kids started to play on it with a sharp tool until he damaged it. When the father saw the damage , he got mad of his son. As a punishment the father cut out his son's hands because he was so angry since it is a new couch and they are poor, so that he can't buy anther new couch. The son was saying for his father, “I will buy a new couch when I grew up, but how could you buy new hands for me.” The father felt with so shame for his anger because he couldn't fix the situation anymore.
Physical punishment or corporal punishment is a way of disciplining a person by hurting his body, using different methods in applying the punishment on the body. For example, belting, burning, crucifixion, electrocution, stoning, whipping and caning. Elizabeth T. Gershoff, PhD, an Associate Professor of Social Work at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan said, “Physical punishment is defined as the use of physical force with the intention of causing the child to experience bodily pain or discomfort so as to correct or punish the child's behavior. This definition includes light physical force, such as a slap on a child's hand, as well as heavier physical force, including hitting children with hard objects such as a wooden spoon or paddle. However, physical punishment does not refer only to hitting children as a form of discipline; it also includes other practices that involve purposefully causing children to experience physical discomfort in order to punish them.” Although some people believe that physical punishment is the best method for disciplining children, there is strong evidence that shows that corporal punishment has negative effects on the children.

Many people follow their parents' way in disciplining their children even if they know that this is going to harm them. However, there is clear evidence that parents who use corporal punishment were punished with physical punishment when they were kids. They do not think that their parents lived in a different generation, and now they are dealing with a new generation. They just keep doing what they grew up with on their children. Gershoff noted, “The more that men and women report having been physically punished in childhood, the more they report using verbal and physical aggression and ineffective problem-solving behaviors with their spouses. Research has consistently found that the more individuals were physically punished in childhood, the more likely they are, as adults, to perpetrate violence on their own family members .” Parents should be more educated and more careful towards their children treatment. They must read some books speaks about how to rise a child, they must watch some educational television programs in order to know how to deal with the problems. They need to understand that they are living in a different generation from the one that their parents lived in. If they had the ability to be educated, of corse they will follow the right way in solving the problem. Which is talking to the child and trying to understand the reason of doing the mistake.

Some parents don't believe in the negative effects of using corporal punishment in treating their children. However, there is a lot of evidence shows that physical punishment cause a lot of serious results on the child life. For example, it might cause violence, autism and mental health problems. “ A meta-analysis of 12 studies found that the frequency or severity with which children experienced physical punishment was associated with increased mental health problems in children in every study.Subsequent studies, not included in the meta- analysis, have confirmed the association of physical punishment with impairments in children's mental health, such as anxiety and depression, alcohol and drug use, and general psychological maladjustment,” Gershoff said. When I was a child, I thought that my parents heat me. I was always thinking in running away because of the hard banishment sometimes. As a child, I need for who teach me which is right from wrong by talking to me not by beating me. But now I laugh when I remember what I was thinking about. Now I know that they was treating me like that in order to let me know that what I was doing was wrong and I shouldn't do it. I'm very thankful for my parents. They were hard sometimes because they love me.

Many parents support corporal punishment as a valid form of education. However, there is little evidence that shows that physical punishment improves the child behavior. Gershoff noted, “The research to date also indicates that physical punishment does not promote long-term, internalized compliance. Most (85 percent) of the studies included in a meta-analysis found physical punishment to be associated with less moral internalization of norms for appropriate behavior and long-term compliance. Similarly, the more children receive physical punishment, the more defiant they are and the less likely they are to empathize with others.” Parents need to know that using physical punishment might let the situation worse more than making it better. Sometimes it negatively effect on the child psychology. He might prefer to be alone not to play with others because of his parents treatment using physical punishment. Also, his personalty wouldn't be strong. He will be afraid of doing anything in public. He wouldn't feel his confidence as long as he is being punished with a corporal way. Using the right way in raising your children is the best for them.

In my own view, I think physical punishment should be illegal in the society. It is really inhuman and cruel way to treat your children with. Physical Punishment is like fixing a behavior and destroying another, it does not improve any skills in the child. Parents should be more sensitive in treating their children. They need to know that their children are like a piece of them. If they harm it, they would lose it. Being a friend with your son or your daughter is the best way in treating them. If they did something wrong or something really serious, just talk to them, ask them why did they did it, try to understand why and for what. Give them some advice in life since you are older than them and you know more about life. Teach them how to solve the problem and not to do it again instead of punishing them. Instead of using physical punishment, if the child makes a mistake, punished him by depriving him of things he likes to do, a particular game he is excited to play with, or force him to do something he does not like to do for a certain period of time in order not to repeat the mistake again.

In conclusion, physical punishment is used all over the world even if there are some countries which physical punishment is illegal in it. It is really unsafe to treat a child or an adult in that way. Although some people support physical punishment as a best method for disciplining children, there is strong evidence that shows that corporal punishment has negative effects on the children. Physical punishment should be banned. Parents must be more educated and more careful in treating their children. It is a big responsibility to deal with. They should be more patient.





Works Cited
Gershoff, E. T. (2008). Report on Physical Punishment in the United States: What Research Tells Us About Its Effects on Children. Columbus, OH: Center for Effective Discipline.





Tim Conrad
HawraAlabbas
English2010

GMO FOODS
Have you ever heard about GMO foods? GMOs stand for genetically modified organisms. Allison Young noted, "It means splicing genetic material from one organism (a plant, animal, bacteria or virus) and transfer it to another." GMOs were a great invention in the world. Just mix different genetics from different kinds of materials and you will get a new material. A new material with good specifications. "They are plants or seeds, created in laboratories," said Melissa Diane Smith. They were being made in order to increase food companies profits, reduce the spoilage of food or resist pesticides. The genetically modified foods started unnoticeable to replace the natural food in the markets and in the world of commerce. Today, it comprising most of the food stacked on store shelves, in restaurants, even in stores that sell natural foods and foods that are genetically modified (GM).. It is worth noting that modern food (GMO) has not yet been subject to studies and experiments that show its impact on human health and the environment in the long term. People are divided about using GMO foods, because it has positive effects and negative effects. Some of the negative effects of GMO foods are cancer, infertility, allergies and problems in the digestive system.

GMO foods cause a lot of disease. Cancer is one of the most dangerous results of GMO foods. Rob Edwards said, "Eating genetically modified (GM) food could give you cancer. That is the stark warning today from one of Scotland's leading experts in tissue diseases. Dr. Stanley Ewen, consultant his topathologies at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, says that a cauliflower [mosaic] virus used in GM foods could increase the risk of stomach and colon cancers." He is interested in the health of people living near agricultural experiments and scale of genetically modified crops in Aberdeenshire, Ross and Cher Fife to be monitored. He added that their food and water will be contaminated by genetically modified material, which can accelerate the growth of malignant tumors (Edwards). Unfortunately, cancer can easily exist in the body because of the GMO food. It affects the layers of the tissues in the body in serious way. Especially if it is used a lot.

Another negative effect of GMO foods is infertility. Hethir Rodriguez said, "Genetically Modified foods, according to researchers, are becoming a real problem when it comes to infertility, causing an influx in worldwide infertility rates. Since the 1970’s alone, sperm counts among the world’s male population have declined as much as 40-50%, according to some studies. GMO foods may be just one of the reasons, warn those studying the phenomenon." GMO products are prevented in the European Union because it causes real dangerous problems on the health of their society. However, the US doesn't prevent the GMO products from their society (Rodriguez). "While some of the top food manufacturers like Kellogg, Heinz, Pepsi, Coke and Kraft, have changed their recipes in Europe, no longer using GMO ingredients in their products, those same products sold in the States continue to sue these dangerous ingredients, thanks to the inaction being taken by the FDA," add Hethir Rodriguez. Studies have shown that infertility in animals and human has increased because of GMO foods.

GMO foods also cause allergies. "Health experts seem to agree on one risk: the potential for GMO-related food allergies. In 1996, researchers inserted what turned out to be a highly allergenic protein from a Brazil nut into soybeans. The soybean never made it to market, but it did raise concerns. Some GMO critics blame these modified crops for the increase in food allergies in children, which jumped 18 percent from 1997 to 2007," said Allison Young. It has been shown to people who eat genetically modified foods an increase in their allergic reactions to the types of foods they are already allergic too. Also, they started to have allergies from some kind of foods that they weren't allergic from it before because of the GMOs.
GMO food causes problems in the digestive system. According to scientific researchers in the Berlin Natural Bakery, they are finding "GMO’s are a breeding ground for bacteria and viruses and since the digestive system is where the body is exposed when ingesting these harmful foods, reversing the damaging effects of these foods is nearly impossible. In other cases on mice and rats, there is documented proof that the digestive system grows bigger for some strange reason." GMOs may cause serious damage to the digestive system. Consequently; sudden swelling which causes an explosion in the digestive tract could happen, and then eventually leads to death.

To sum up, People should know that GOM foods are bad for their health. Many people used GMO foods but they don't know about their negative effects in their bodies. I think we should be more careful about what we eat. We have to take care of our bodies, so we should know what we are feeding them. There are a lot of health problems existed as a result of using genetically modified food. Cancer, infertility, allergies and problems in the digestive system are the main consequence of the GMO foods. So as citizens we need to speak out against the dangers of the GMO products in order to save more lives now and in the future. We must unite in demonstrations to succeed on those who are trying to harm us. We need to create some boycotts against GMOs produce in order to save the health of our society.






Works Cited
Edwards, Rob. "Demand for executive to ban crop trials until effects of GM food on health are studied." The Sunday Herald, Dec 8, 2002. Web. 30 Oct. 2012.
Rodriguez, Hethir. "Research Indicates That GMO Could Be a Cause Of Infertility." Natural Fertility Info.com, n.d. Web. 30 Oct. 2012.
"Six Negative Side Effects to Eating Genetically Modified Foods." Berlin Natural Bakery, n.d. Web. 30 Oct. 2012.
Young, Allison. "GMOs: Friends or Foe?" Natural Health 42.4 (2012): 46-50. Academic Search Premier. Web. 4 Oct. 2012.

First Draft
GMO FOODS
Have you ever heard about GMO foods? GMOs stand for genetically modified organisms. Allison Young noted, "It means splicing genetic material from one organism (a plant, animal, bacteria or virus) and transfer it to another." GMOs were a great invention in the world. Just mix different genetics from different kinds of materials and you will get a new material. A new material with good specifications. "They are plants or seeds, created in laboratories," said Melissa Diane Smith. They were being made in order to increase food companies profits, reduce the spoilage of food or resist pesticides. The genetically modified foods started unnoticeable to replace the natural food in the markets and in the world of commerce. Today, it comprising most of the food stacked on store shelves, in restaurants, even in stores that sell natural foods and foods that are genetically modified (GM). It is worth noting that modern food (GMO) has not yet been subject to studies and experiments that show its impact on human health and the environment in the long term. People are divided about using GMO foods, because it has positive effects and negative effects. Some of the negative effects of GMO foods are cancer, infertility, allergies and problems in the digestive system.